TNAG-0485-FCO40-550-UK-publications-on-labour-and-social-conditions-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 158

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Colonial Secretary

"I agree... also [with] the proposal for social insurance for employ- ment injury benefit, although I doubt whether we could go so far as to substitute commercial insurance by national insurance.

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a scheme of social insurance to provide cash maternity benefit should be an aim of policy, but should not be regarded as an urgent need

further special investigation of possible need for social insurance to provide a cash benefit for invalidity

consideration to redundancy payments, by extra levy on the employer, in defined circumstances similar to those established by the Redundancy Payments Act, U.K., 1965

“Unemployment benefit insurance should be kept in mind as an aim of policy for introduction when economic conditions are sufficiently favourable, and when social insurance for more urgent contingencies has been successfully established

Colonial Secretary:

"The Working Party finally recommends as general aims for the future, social insurance for cash maternity benefit, invalidity benefit, and un- employment benefit, and the establishment of a redundancy fund. I cannot hold out much hope of our being able to implement such schemes in the foreseeable future."

a modern and uniform system of public assistance from public funds and supporting services should be set up to alleviate hardship from des- titution and to provide suitable transitory benefits pending the operative effect of social insurance for old age, survivorship, and for invalidity

Colonial Secretary –

"As regards public assistance, however, we are already reviewing current policy.'

Steps to be Taken Towards the Introduction of New Schemes

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a full-time commission should be set up to work out a programme of social security for Hong Kong

Colonial Secretary

"While, as I have said, we now intend to examine these proposals in turn in greater detail, I do not consider that such examination would be assisted by the appointment of a full-time commission as the Working Party suggested."

- a research unit should be set up as a matter of urgency to enquire into

outworkers and subsistence living, and also to carry out the other

pre-